Every time I mention I am an interior designer, this is met with curiosity and, occasionally, puzzlement. What DOES an interior designer do? Broadly speaking, an interior designer concern themselves with the interior of buildings, but there will be a wide variety of things we do – and don’t do! Here are some of the questions I get asked often:
- So, do you make curtains?
Absolute top question I get asked. No, I don’t make curtains. Well, I could make curtains, but it would be slow and probably not as good as they could be, so I refer all my customers who require bespoke window treatment to specialist curtains and blinds makers. I occasionally make cushions to use up leftover fabric, but it is not a commercial enterprise 😀
- Do you paint walls/hang wallpaper?
Again, no. I do my own house because I enjoy it, but for my clients I recommend professional help – unless they want to do it themselves, which is fine. My DIY is completed to quite a high standard, but like with the curtain making, I am slow and inefficient. Stuff best relegated to my weekends!
- Do you come and measure the house for me?
Yes! This is definitely a service we provide, and it is included in the in-person design package, as well as bespoke services. For remote design services, we provide an information sheet with guidance on how to measure your room.
- What is your design process like?
I will be writing a more detailed post about this in the next few weeks, but roughly speaking, it goes like this:
1. You book a free consultation. This can be online or in person and lasts 30 minutes. We can discuss what problems you would like to solve, ask any questions you have about me and my experience, the packages and prices we offer, and generally find out if we are a good designer/client fit.
2. If you decide to go ahead, you pick your package and I will send you a comprehensive questionnaire about your project.
3. We have a briefing meeting, where we discuss your answers and find out more about your project. If you are having an in person design, we will also take photos and measurements at this stage.
4. We deliver your project! The typical turnaround for a design-only project is 2 weeks, not including any revisions.
- I live in Manchester/Edinburgh/Carrickfergus. Do you cover this area?
Absolutely. Our in-person service mainly cover the South Wales and South West Wales area, and the M4 corridor – including our immediate neighbours in the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend, but also Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire (you wouldn’t need to twist my arm to get me to Ceredigion either 😀 ), Newport, Monmouthshire, Caerphilly, Bristol, North Somerset, Wiltshire, Berkshire and London. We can and do go beyond these counties, and would be happy to go anywhere in the country, although travel charges apply. We can also help using our online service wherever you are in the world.
This is meant to be a live post and will be updated as and when necessary – and if you have any questions, just pop them in the comments below and we will be happy to answer 🙂
Featured image by William Felker on Unsplash
